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Creating an Automated Table of Contents in Word 2003

Word builds an automated table of contents (TOC) by extracting from the document the text you have indicated you want in the TOC, and then listing the text in the TOC along with the number of the page the text is on.

You can indicate the text you want in the TOC by

• Using existing Word heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)—this is the simplest method.
• Using other paragraph styles—use this method if you want headings that look different from Word’s existing headings.
• Using text fields connected with headings—use this method if you want only part of a paragraph to appear in the TOC (for APA run-in headings, for example).

Whichever method you use, if your heading moves to a different page, or you change the wording of a heading, the TOC reflects that change when you refresh it. Details on each of the methods for flagging headings are below.

Create a TOC using Word's heading styles

This is the simplest way to build a TOC, because Word has built-in heading styles already defined.

If you want to try this procedure on a practice document, open the Word 2003 TOC Practice Document.

To use this method:

1. To each of the document headings you want to include in the TOC, apply a built-in Word heading style.
   
   To apply a built-in style:
   1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the heading.
   2. On the Formatting toolbar's Style box, click the the Down arrow and select the style you want to apply.
      
      Apply only styles named Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.
      
      The heading now has the style you selected.
      If you want to change the heading’s appearance, see Change a heading’s appearance.
2. In the document, place the insertion point where you want the TOC to begin.
3. From the Insert menu, select Reference > Index and Tables.
4. Click the Table of Contents tab.
5. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click OK.
   
   The TOC appears at the insertion point and includes the headings that have the Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc. styles applied to them.

Change a heading’s appearance

This method changes the appearance of all headings that are the same style as the one you change.

If you need to change the appearance of a built-in heading style:

1. In your document, place the insertion point anywhere in the heading whose appearance you want to change.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, left of the Style box click the Style icon.
3. In the Modify Style dialog box, make the changes you want.
   
   More options are available if you click the Format button and select a format category.
4. Click OK in the open dialog boxes.
   
   The new formatting is applied to all headings of that style in the document.

Update the TOC

To update the TOC after changing, adding, or deleting headings, or when page numbers have changed:

1. Click in the body of the TOC to select it (the lines are highlighted in gray).
2. On the Outlining toolbar, click the Update TOC button.
   
   To open the Outlining toolbar, on the View menu point to Toolbars and then click Outlining.
3. When asked whether you want to update just the page numbers or the entire TOC, if it's a long document and you haven't changed any headings, select Update page number only. If it's a short document or you have changed a heading, select Update entire table.
4. Click OK.

Change the TOC’s appearance

If you want to change the appearance of your table of contents, avoid formatting the generated TOC directly; it will return to its old format when you update it. Instead, use the Index and Tables dialog box:

1. Right-click anywhere in the body of the TOC and select Edit Field.
2. In the Field dialog box, in the Categories list select TOC.
3. Click the Table of Contents button.
4. In the Table of Contents dialog box, make the changes you need. For more formatting options:
   1. Click the Modify button.
   2. In the Style dialog box, select the style you want to change (TOC 1, TOC 2, etc. indicate the levels of heading in the TOC).
   3. Click Modify.
   4. In the Modify Style dialog box, make the changes you want.
      For more options, click the Format button and select a format category.
   5. Click OK in the open dialog boxes.
   6. When you are asked if you want to replace the TOC, click OK.
      

Create a TOC using other paragraph styles

This method is similar to using Word heading styles, but allows you to include any paragraph styles you want in your TOC.

If you want to try this procedure on a practice document, open the Word 2003 TOC Practice Document.

To use this method:

1. Create a new style for each level of heading you want to include in your TOC.
   
   For details, see Create your own styles.
2. In the document, place the insertion point where you want the TOC to begin.
3. From the Insert menu, select Reference > Index and Tables.
4. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click Options.
5. In the Table of Contents Options dialog box, make sure the Build table of contents from Styles box is selected.
6. In the TOC Level boxes, for each style you want to include in your TOC specify the level you want it to have by typing 1, 2, 3, etc.
   
   Delete the number from any style you want to exclude.
7. Click OK in each open dialog box.
8. The TOC appears at the insertion point and includes the headings you selected.
   
   If you want to change the appearance of the TOC, see Change the TOC's appearance.

Create your own styles

1. Format a paragraph using the regular paragraph and character formatting.
   
   Be sure all character formatting in the paragraph is the same.
2. Place the insertion point in the paragraph.
3. On the Formatting toolbar, re-choose the name of the style that's displayed.
4. In the Modify Style dialog box, select Update the style to reflect recent changes, and then click OK.
   
   From now on, when you apply that style the new formatting will be applied.

Create a TOC using text fields

1. Select the text you want included in the TOC.
   
   For an APA run-in heading, select just the italicized words without the period.
2. Press Alt-Shift-O (letter o).
3. In the Mark Table of Contents Entry dialog box, in the Level box select the level you want the heading to appear as. (For APA run-in headings, select Level 3 for a three-level paper or Level 4 for a four-level paper.)
4. Click Mark, and then Close.
   
   A field code appears just after the text you selected.
5. In the heading text in the field code (between the braces), format the font of the heading as you want it to appear in the TOC. Note: Do not change the quotation marks or any other code elements.
   
   For an APA TOC, for example, you may want to format the TOC entry to be roman instead of italic.
   
   To toggle the heading field codes off and on, press the F9 key.
6. If you’ve already created a TOC:
   1. Right-click in the body of the TOC and select Edit Table.
   2. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click Options.
   3. In the Table of Contents Options dialog box, select Table entry fields.
   4. In the open dialog boxes, click OK.
      
   5. Word will now include in the TOC the headings in field codes.
   6. Right-click in the body of the TOC and select Update Field.
   7. When prompted, select Update entire table and click OK.
      
      The TOC refreshes and displays the field code headings.

   If you’re creating a new TOC:

   1. In the document, place the insertion point where you want the TOC to begin.
   2. From the Insert menu, select Reference > Index and Tables.
   3. Click the Table of Contents tab.
   4. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click OK.
      
      The TOC appears, displaying the field code headings.